PORTLAND, Oregon –The nation's 250 Black publishers will head to Portland this summer for the National Newspaper Publishers Association 2014 convention. One of biggest happenings on the NNPA calendar, the event brings publishers together to network, discuss the latest developments in news media, and reward the best work of 2013.

In past years the convention has visited Atlanta, Ga.; New York; Nashville, Tenn.; Chicago and Seattle. This year for the first time the convention will be hosted in Oregon.

“The Portland Observer and I are very fortunate to host this distinguished group,” said Bernie Foster, The Skanner News’ publisher and former vice chair of the NNPA Foundation’s board. “We have members coming from all over the United States and even from Toronto, Canada and the Caribbean,” he said.

The convention, which runs from June 25—28, will be lodged at The Nines hotel, in downtown Portland. Mayor Charlie Hales and other local leaders will be on hand. The gathering will include a prayer breakfast, workshops and an awards gala, as well as opportunities for networking, sightseeing and shopping around the city.

With hundreds of newspapers reaching a combined audience of some 15 million people, the NNPA continues to play a crucial role in civil rights and economic empowerment for Black Americans.